Shopping

1. French butchers do not sell pork, pork products, nor horsemeat. For these products, go to a charcuterie.
2. In France, bakeries only sell fresh bread; e.g. the bread is baked on site. Places where they sell bread that is not fresh are called dépôt de pain.
3. 'Charcuteries' sell things besides pork products, including pâte, salami, cold meats, salads, quiches and pizzas.
4. An alternative to an 'épicerie' is an alimentation générale (a general foodstore).

Object Pronouns Review

Direct Objects

While the subject of a sentence initiates an action (the verb), the direct object is the one that is affected by the action. A direct object pronoun is used to refer to the direct object of a previous sentence:

The following table shows the various types of direct object pronouns:

Notes:

• ¹me, te, nous, and vous are also used as indirect objects to mean to me, to you, to us, and to you respectively.
• The pronoun form with an apostrophe is used before a vowel.
• The direct object pronoun for nous and vous is the same as the subject.
• When the direct object comes before a verb in a perfect tense, a tense that uses a past participle, the direct object must agree in gender and plurality with the past participle. For example, in te phrase Je les ai eus, or I had them, the past participle would be spelled eus if the direct object, les, was referring to a masculine object, and eues if les is referring to a feminine object.

Indirect Objects

An indirect object is an object that would be asked for with To whom...? or From whom...?. It is called indirect because it occurs usually together with a direct object which is affected directly by the action:

The following table shows the various types of direct object pronouns:

Notes:

• ¹me, te, nous, and vous are also used as direct objects to mean me, you, us, and you respectively.
• The pronoun form with an apostrophe is used before a vowel.
• The direct object pronoun for nous and vous is the same as the subject.
• The indirect object pronouns do not agree with the past participle like the direct object pronouns do. When me, te, nous, and vous are used in a perfect tense, the writer must decide whether they are used as direct or indirect object pronouns. This is done by looking at the verb and seeing what type of action is being performed.

The bread is given by the man (direct). Pierre gets the given apple (indirect).

-exer Verbs

-exer are regular -er verbs, but also are stem changing. The stem change applies to all forms except nous and vous. The stem change involves adding a grave accent ( ` ) over the e in the stem.

Formation

Other -exer Verbs

• peser - to weigh
• mener - to carry out
• emmener - to take along
• amener - to bring
• surmener - to overwork
• lever - to raise
• soulever - to raise

Clothing

-yer verbs

-yer verbs are regular -er verbs. However, when y is part of the last syllable, it changes to i in order to keep the ay sound. In the present indicative of -yer verbs, this affects all forms except nous and vous.

Payer

The verb payer translates to to pay.

Formation

In the present indicative, payer (and all other -yer verbs) is conjuagted as follows:

Other -yer Verbs

• appuyer - to support
• employer - to employ
• essayer - to try
• essuyer - to wipe
• nettoyer - to clean
• tutoyer - to address as tu, to call someone informally

Irregular Past Participles

Many of the verbs you have learned so far have irregular past participles.

• avoir - eu
• croire - cru
• être - été
• faire - fait
• voir - vu

Practise Conversations

Let's practise some of these words and verbs in some everyday shopping talk:

1. À la boulangerie (At the bakery)

Bernard (le boulanger) : Bonjour madame

Camille (la cliente) : Bonjour monsieur

Bernard : Qu'est-ce que vous voulez ?

Camille : Je voudrais acheter une baguette, s'il vous plaît

Bernard : C'est tout ?

Camille : Non, je voudrais deux croissants aussi

Bernard : Très bien - ça fait deux euros, s'il vous plaît

Camille : Merci beaucoup

Useful vocabulary here:

"Qu'est-ce que vous voulez ?" - What would you like?

"Je voudrais..." - I would like . . .

"C'est tout ?" - Is that all?

"Ça fait deux euros" - That'll be two euros

Remember your verb - acheter (to buy).

Note of a frenchman :

"Qu'est-ce que vous voulez ?" is a little abrupt. We use mostly "Que voulez-vous ?" or "Que désirez-vous ?".

Same for "C'est tout ?", we use most of the time "Ce sera tout ?" (future tense) or "Et avec ceci ?" (and with this?).

2. Au marché (At the market)

Marie (la marchande) : Bonjour monsieur

Clément (le client) : Bonjour madame

Clément : Qu'est-ce que vous avez à vendre ?

Marie : J'ai un grand choix de fruits et légumes

Clément : Très bien. Est-ce que vous avez des cerises ?

Marie : Oui... elles coûtent deux euros le kilo

Clément : Bon, je voudrais trois kilos, s'il vous plaît

Marie : Très bien, monsieur. Alors, pour trois kilos il faut payer six euros, s'il vous plaît.

Useful vocabulary here:

"Qu'est-ce que vous avez... ?" - What do you have?

"Un grand choix" - A large range

"Des cerises" - Some cherries

"Elles coûtent deux euros le kilo" - They (feminine) cost two euros per kilo

"Il faut" - One must/You need to

Remember your verbs - vendre (to sell) and payer (to pay).